Jean-Antoine de Mesmes
1658
Medium
Engraving; sixth state of seven (Petitjean & Wickert)
Dimensions
Sheet: 17 1/2 × 13 3/4 in. (44.5 × 34.9 cm) Plate: 12 5/8 × 9 13/16 in. (32 × 25 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1966
Accession Number
66.529.76
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant engraving, *Jean-Antoine de Mesmes (1658), by the masterful French artist Robert Nanteuil, the dignified likeness of a prominent 17th-century figure, a nobleman or official, complete with coat of arms. Nanteuil, one of the finest portrait engravers of his era, worked during the opulent reign of Louis XIV, producing prints that blended realism with aristocratic grandeur. This sixth state of seven—part of the iterative refinement process in printmaking—showcases subtle enhancements in line work and shading, making it a prized example of Baroque-era precision. Engravings like this w...
About the Artist
Robert Nanteuil · 1623–1678
Robert Nanteuil (1623-1678) was a French portrait engraver, draughtsman, and pastellist who became the preeminent portraitist to the court of Louis XIV. His technical mastery and royal patronage fundamentally transformed the status of engraving in France, elevating it from a mechanical craft to a recognized fine art. Nanteuil stands as the outstanding French portrait engraver of the seventeenth c...